Genesis shifted a bit in bed, staring at the man he was sharing it with.

He had always imagined mornings when he'd wake up completely ensconced in another's arms, legs tangled together, maybe even holding hands. This was not the case.

Angeal had his arms around the pillow beneath his head. His legs were sprawled across his side of the bed, but politely remaining on his side of the bed. He was also snoring a bit, not too loud though.

Genesis propped himself on his hand and chuckled at the hopeless romantic in his soul. There were things it wanted and things it needed. It might have wanted to remain in Angeal's warm embrace all evening, but it needed to see how completely adorable Angeal was in the mornings after sex, and this wouldn't be the only morning after.

The planet hadn't sent Genesis Prince Charming. Angeal had more flaws, wasn't as pristine. Then again, Prince Charming had always looked like a skinny, snooty fuck to Genesis whereas Angeal was a bashful, hunk of muscle, and sweeter than dumbapple pie to boot.

As Genesis thought about it more, he nodded to himself. If anyone was playing the role of Prince Charming in this fairy tale, it was going to be him. With that thought, Genesis rolled over and took the covers with him.

He smiled as Angeal jerked back his own fair share.

As the Sun rose over the nearest mountain, Vincent and Reeve paused. They would be missed by both of their armies, but neither really had the will to care anymore. They weren't nearly as disposable as Sephiroth and Cloud had been. Losing the two warriors had been a surprise, losing the best assassin and best spy would be devastating.

They could live with it.

"Are you sure they will be up here?" Reeve asked.

"Cloud said his cabin was on the other side of this mountain," Vincent said. He remembered the conversation quite vividly. Cloud had been quite animated as he tried to explain how he built a home for himself by himself. He was rightfully proud of his achievement. At least, that had been what Vincent understood of their conversation.

He smiled briefly as he wondered how Sephiroth was faring in understanding Cloud.

"And Cloud knows the area," Reeve reiterated.

"He lives here, so I would deem it safe to assume so," Vincent stated.

"How could he live so close, but never be found out?" Reeve asked looking back at the battlefield just beginning to be lit by sunlight.

"I'll have to ask him," Vincent said.

"Ugh, I should have warned you that I'm not really...good at this hiking thing," Reeve said.

"I've noticed," Vincent said.

"Don't you start getting sarcastic on me," Reeve said, "We just met."

Cloud burrowed through his kitchen before scratching his head.

They were running short on supplies. He had stocked it for two weeks before he went off to fight, but he hadn't anticipated another person. They were going to run out of food soon.

He didn't really feel like he was ready to leave though. He and Sephiroth had only been here for five days. That was hardly enough cuddle time.

Sephiroth surveyed what Cloud had scrounged up for breakfast and came to the same conclusion. Food was becoming scarce.

"Well what do you usually do?" Sephiroth asked.

"I go veiði," Cloud said, "You stay?" Sephiroth shook his head the minute he realized Cloud was talking about splitting up.

"No," he said, "together."

"I not have...things," Cloud said after thinking about what word to use, "Danger. One go." Sephiroth was a little freaked out that he was able to figure out these broken sentences so easily now.

"I can help," Sephiroth said.

"Danger," Cloud said, "way is danger." Sephiroth paused. Cloud knew the terrain, what predators were around. Sephiroth didn't.

But the idea of separating...

"Please?" Sephiroth said, "I'm a warrior like you. I will follow you. Do what Cloud says." Cloud was smiling now.

"Don't know," he said, not understanding the sentences.

"I Va Vior," Sephiroth said, "I lie ra from Cloud. I go with Cloud."

"No," Cloud said. But Sephiroth knew by the way Cloud bit his lip he was winning this battle.

"So where are we going?" Zack asked.

"To an undisclosed location," Tseng replied curtly.

"And you can't tell me where it is because..."

"It's against protocol," Tseng said with a shrug.

"Yes because you're all about protocol," Rufus said from the back. He'd given Zack the honor of shotgun.

"I bend many rules for you quin'ai de," Tseng said, "but I'm yet to break one."

"What exactly is the point of not saying where we are going?" Zack said, "aren't we going for our safety?"

"He's got a point," Rufus said.

"I didn't memorize the rulebook," Tseng said, "Although I'm sure there's a reason."

"That means he doesn't know," Rufus informed Zack. Tseng just rolled his eyes.

"I can tell you it has a lovely view," Tseng said, "A more ideal place to bond than a military camp."

"I can live with that," Zack said and sat back.

"You gave up quickly," Rufus noted.

"I figure if you two wanted to get rid of me, you would have done it last night," Zack said, "I trust you." Rufus felt oddly touched by the statement.

"Quin'ai de has a terrible sense of humor," Tseng said, "I'm not sure if trust is the word you want to use."

"I pick on you because you make yourself a victim," Rufus said.

"You just like my idea of revenge," Tseng shot back. Zack watched their little spat with a bit of envy. This was an old bond, one that had two familiar partners. He was the outsider. The new one.

Tseng noticed Zack's mood shift first. He turned to give a look to Rufus. Rufus rolled his eyes, but sat up and leaned forward.

"I am a terrible conversationalist so just bear with me," Rufus said, "tell me something about yourself." Zack had a confused cock to his head, then shrugged it off. Rufus stifled a smile at the way his hair bobbed with the motion.

"Well...small town kid," Zack said, "oh...before I forget. I know it's inconvenient, but at some point we all have to go to Gongaga to see my Mom. She'd hunt me down otherwise when she finds out I have a...two soulmates."

"If she finds out," Rufus corrected.

"No it's when," Zack said, "you'll know as soon as you meet her."

By noon Cloud had broken down. The weather was still holding out nicely. Cloud decided to risk carrying lightweight camping materials. They'd be gone three days maximum with the food and fresh water they had, maybe longer if they caught anything good.

Sephiroth was under strict orders to do exactly has Cloud told him to. It felt a little strange, not being in control. Cloud was the expert out here. Sephiroth had lived in Midgar for most of his life.

They left soon after, Cloud taking his two lightest swords and making Sephiroth leave his Masamune behind. After an hour, Sephiroth could no longer find any familiar landmarks. He was at the mercy of Cloud's knowledge.

He felt fine with that.

He reached forward and caught a hold of Cloud's fingers. Cloud readjusted to clasp Sephiroth's hand in turn. They smiled at each other for a moment, before turning back to the overgrown trail.

Everything would be fine.

Miles and miles away, in a city almost a world away from the battlefield a man and a woman watched a news story break about how the latest war was faring.

His eyes narrowed as he realized ShinRa had been momentarily halted, but was far from neutralized. She covered her mouth at the absurd title. Love in the Battlefield. Were the ratings that low?

They moved forward through the crowd to see the story a little better.

He felt at where his flesh met metal, wondering how these people could just tear away from their causes like that. Did they have so little to fight for over there?

She wondered if the pictures they were showing were even real. She knew Sephiroth, but the boy he had apparently bonded with was just as remarkable in her opinion.

He huffed and turned to leave. He almost knocked her down. His anger dissipated to be replaced with soft regret.

"Sorry," he mumbled, then felt something shoot down his spine.

"Oh," she grunted as he ran into her, then she gasped.

They looked at each other, forgetting the screen.

"Oh it's you," she sighed.

"Yeah," he said rubbing the back of his neck.

Both tried to figure out how to tell their soulmate they had fallen and lost a love once already.

Vincent spotted the cabin first. Reeve heaved a relieved grunt. The trek had been uneventful, but rather long.

They hesitated outside for a moment. Reeve knocked first. Sephiroth would recognize him and hopefully not skewer him.

No response. He knocked again.

After the third attempt, Vincent tried the door. It swung open.

"They're gone," Vincent said.

"Damn," Reeve said, "moved on?" Vincent stepped inside.

"No, their weapons are still here," he said.

"Is it rude to wait inside for them?" Reeve asked, "or do we not care."

"I don't care," Vincent said shutting the door behind them, "I have...many things I have to discuss with you anyway."

"Good," Reeve said, "I'm glad we're on the same page." Vincent smiled again. Even as soulmate partners went, he had gotten a strange one. He liked it.

"I'm...my name is Elmyra," she said, "Elmyra Gainsborough."

"Barret Wallace," he said.

"This is...unexpected," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah," he said.

"I hope you don't find it rude," Elmyra said, "but I had kind of figured we'd never meet and got married."

"That's not too rude," Barret said, "considerin' I did the same."

"Well then..." she said, "I think we need to talk about this."

"Do you mind if we pick up my daughter first?" Barret asked, "I think she should be here."

"No," Elmyra replied, "I think I should meet her too."